This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 17 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Pella Chronicle
Location
Pella, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Sep 25, 1947
Page
1
Four freshmen and seniors named as new cheerleaders to lead student body cheers for the football season. Mary Ann Toll, Carel Ver Steeg, Ardith Van Houweling and Donna Schakel represent each class. The group aims to boost team spirit with enthusiastic routines and student cooperation.
A student editorial condemns the current initiation rites as demeaning and harmful. It argues for replacing the tradition with a positive policy to welcome newcomers and improve social relations, proposing three upper classes decide an alternate activity.
Senior band members painted the band room walls light green with black and silver notes and accents. A few upside down sharps were noted, a spill of silver paint was cleaned with oleam, and the project concluded with the room finished and rewards planned for participants.
A page of freshmen in a high school is featured with quotes from La Velma Walraven, Dorothy Toom, Mary Ann Toll, Douglas Jantz, and Sidney De Haan. They share views like studying, seniors' kindness, fun, and liking high school, noting teachers are okay and expressing general optimism.
The Moravia Special bus is retired after a yearlong wait for a new thirty six passenger Dodge with a Hicks body. It will serve the Otley route driven by Marion Den Adel or an assistant, while the Leighton bus, a forty two passenger Dodge, is driven by Connie Nugteren, a Central College student with past South Dakota driving experience.
The home economics department reports ongoing canning projects, new equipment like egg heaters and an electric stove, and a five year equipment plan. Freshmen study blueprints and isometric drawings while Industrial Arts students test machine safety and work on furniture projects and orthographic drawing.
The piece recalls freshmen's fear as seniors stroll hallways with practiced care. It notes seniors offering help and mock bravado about future power over newcomers. The tone reflects schoolyard hierarchy and shifting status as grade levels flip roles.
The junior class at the school will present Out of the Frying Pan a comedy by Francis Swann on November 20. Tryouts will be held soon after books are ordered and students are invited to prepare for the performance.
The Hawkeye Hols summer events in Des Moines drew band members for July activities. Students earned pins, received free instruction from Mr. Whalley, and over 48 lessons were taught to seven dozen students, with many earning first through fourth year pins. In August the group painted the band room, ending a productive summer under the director’s guidance.
The senior class elected Dirk Van Zante as president and David Dring as vice president. La Velma De Penning is secretary and Mary Jane Menninga treasurer. Junior class officers are Leo Sels president, Dolores Swank vice president, Kenneth Schakel secretary, Elaine Vander Ploeg treasurer. Sophomore officers include Edwin Ver Ploeg president, Donna Jean Veenstra vice president, Virgil Roertje secretary treasurer. Freshmen head Dorothy Toom president, Vivian Walster vice president, Margaret Olcott secretary treasurer.
Election results from multiple home rooms list new officers for the 1947 48 academic year. Names include Dirk Van Zante and Leo Sele among presidents, with corrections and additions across freshmen to junior rooms and student council representatives.
Calendar notes outline football games basketball events and student assembly meetings with dates and locations. Several lines mention football games at Howe fellows and Pleasannalle, a basketball game with Chariton, and events including Indiana and Daniels. The readable items show schedules for Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 18 with venues and opposing teams.
The diary entry recalls a freshman’s first week marked by nerves and chaos on September days. The writer describes crowded halls, burnt snacks, a tense English class with a massive essay, and a dizzying tour through the building. Some relief comes as students return to town, yet the term promises dull moments ahead.
Members named for the Girls Glee Club include Clay are Dei King Maree Jean Brivker Rt Aner ba De Dorothy France Audre epranns Caral Ver Ste dane Mentinga Erma Vy Roekel Lorraine De Haan Dixie Tal nider Mendon Slevin Gas auline Stoon hawk Betty It Marlen Seby Margaret Olcott Judith Mie len Dona Van Dusseldorp Altos Bertha Rozendaal Loui Kysdam Hetty Rempe Marcella Vander Wilt Ronnie Thomassen Blaine Vander Ploeg Marcia Van Maanen Marilyn Ta Bonnie Vander Voort Dorothy Toom Accompanist Peggy Leu.
Rev E H Tanis led Monday devotions at PILS with a reading from Psalm 119. He posed the question how a young man can cleanse his ways and urged following God’s word. He urged students to keep their bodies as temples and wished them a good year and a Christian foundation. John Hesselink sang a hymn after.
Raymond Lewis Crum received his diploma from Pella High School after serving in the U.S. ALF 1. A new office secretary, Mrs. Vern Gezel, joins Superintendent Buerkens. Elon Van Zee was briefly away with family for Gene’s Calvin College graduation. Dorothy Blom recently had an appendectomy.
A September county teachers gathering sparked debate over rural training eligibility. Seniors claim pride in attendance while juniors and freshmen misread the purpose as the heat and limited access left many grade children disappointed by the chaotic miscoordination and unclear criteria.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.